The Cornell Center for Integrative Developmental Science (CIDS) is excited to offer a limited number of summer fellowships up to $6,000 to any Cornell undergraduate who will be involved in full-time summer research with a Cornell faculty member on a topic related to developmental science.

Undergraduate students and their faculty mentors must both submit applications. Students should work with faculty members when preparing the 2-3 page proposal that is required as a part of the application.

All currently enrolled - as of spring 2024 - Cornell students may apply provided that they have a  current or prospective faculty research advisor, are enrolled full-time, are in good academic standing, and will be continuing as a Cornell undergraduate students in the fall semester. The research topic must be related to developmental science and the CIDS mission.

Students must be available for a full-time, 8-week summer research position. Simultaneous enrollment in courses is not permitted. Students must submit either weekly reflections or short reports at the end of the research experience.

Faculty members must review and approve the student’s application proposal before the student submits it and also submit a separate application. Faculty members must provide on-site supervision during the student’s 8-week summer research experience.

Application deadline for 2024 is Friday, March 1, 5:00 p.m.

Instructions for Students

Cornell students who will or would like to be conducting research aligned with the mission of the Center for Integrative Developmental Science (CIDS) in the summer of 2024 are invited to apply for a limited number of summer stipends up to $6000 . Students and faculty members must apply jointly. The selection process is competitive. The fellowship provides for the student’s personal support, i.e. income, while completing 8 weeks of full-time research supervised by a Cornell faculty member. Concurrent enrollment in summer courses is not permitted.

Applicants must be enrolled as full-time students at Cornell in the Spring 2024 term and be in good academic standing. They must also be continuing as full-time Cornell undergraduate students in the Fall 2024 term. Students who have previously received a CIDS-funded summer stipend are not eligible to apply. The number of awards varies each year depending upon available funding.

In awarding fellowships to qualified applicants, consideration is first given to the quality of the proposal, the endorsement and commitment of the faculty mentor, and the proposal’s match with the mission of the CIDS. Among the other considerations are the student’s past and future involvement in the project, relevance of research activity to student’s academic goals and career plans, student’s graduation year, student’s other support for undergraduate research, and the distribution of awards across Cornell faculty members.

Note if the project can be conducted remotely if needed.

Students should complete the required cover sheet and provide the other materials as directed on the student application instructions. Students submit electronically by the deadline of Friday, March 1, 2024, 5:00 pm. Students should work with their faculty mentor to prepare the 2-3 page proposal, and the faculty member should approve the proposal before it is submitted. The faculty member needs to submit a separate application to the faculty online submission form by the deadline.

  1. Student information and background questions
  2. Proposal (about 2-3 pages) written for academic reviewer outside your field that provides the following information:
    1. Project title
    2. Objectives and significance
    3. Brief review of literature
    4. Methodology (provide detail adequate to evaluate quality and probability of completion; indicate status of any necessary compliance trainings or approvals - e.g. IRB - to proceed with the work.)
    5. Timeline and current stage of research
  3. Personal statement (not to exceed 1 page) articulating how the research project relates to your academic goals and career plans. Indicate your prior experiences in research and if the summer research is related to an honors project.
  4. Unofficial copy of Cornell transcript
  5. Do you now have or have you previously received a financial award (such as a stipend, fellowship, grant, or financial aid) from Cornell for your own support to conduct research while an undergraduate student? You do not need to report paid employment. If yes, please describe the source, date, and amount of this award. 
  6. Resumé

Instructions for Faculty

Cornell students who will or would like to be conducting research with Cornell faculty members in the summer of 2023 are invited to apply for a limited number of $6000 stipends. Students and faculty members must apply jointly. The selection process is competitive. The stipend provides for the student’s own support while completing 8 weeks of full-time research supervised by a Cornell faculty member. Concurrent enrollment in summer courses is not permitted.

Applicants must be enrolled as full-time students in Cornell in the Spring 2023 term and be in good academic standing. They must also be continuing as full-time Cornell undergraduate students in the Fall 2023 term, though they may be studying in one of Cornell’s off-campus off programs. Students who have previously received a CIDS-funded summer stipend are not eligible to apply again.

In awarding stipends to qualified applicants, consideration is first given to the quality of the proposal, the endorsement and commitment of the faculty mentor, and the proposal’s match with the mission of the CIDS. Among the other considerations are the student’s past and future involvement in the project, relevance of research activity to student’s academic goals and career plans, student’s graduation year, student’s other support for undergraduate research, and the distribution of awards across Cornell faculty members.

The application is confidential and will not be shared with the student.

Please submit your responses using the brief online application.

Note: Students should complete the required cover sheet for the student application and provide the other materials as directed on the student application instructions. Students submit electronically using their own online application.